How Much Does Car Shipping Cost?
The honest answer: between about $340 for a short regional move and $2,300 for a big coast to coast run, with most shipments landing somewhere between $900 and $1,500. The exact number comes down to five things, and once you know them, every quote you ever see makes sense.
The five things that set your price
- Distance is the biggest factor, but not the way most people think. Long routes cost more in total and much less per mile. A 2,700 mile run can price near $0.62 a mile while a 200 mile hop runs $2.00 a mile, because the truck's loading, paperwork, and dispatch effort is the same either way.
- Vehicle size. Sedans ride cheapest. SUVs, pickups, and vans take more space and weight, typically adding about $100.
- Running or not. A car that does not run needs a winch and extra time, usually around $225 more.
- Open or enclosed. Open carriers are the standard and what most cars ride. Enclosed protection for classics and exotics adds roughly 45 percent.
- Season and direction. Snowbird lanes surge south in fall and north in spring. The same route can move $200 or more between the quiet months and the peak. Our snowbird guide maps the calendar.
Real route examples
New York to Florida, the busiest lane in the country, moves most sedans for about $950 to $1,250, covered in detail in our New York to Florida guide. Chicago to Dallas runs near $1,000. A full coast to coast like Seattle to Miami lands around $1,950 to $2,350. Short hops inside one state usually meet the minimum, since a carrier still dedicates a slot and a stop to your car.
What about the broker fee?
Every transport company arranging your shipment earns a fee, and most bury it. We show ours as an exact dollar figure right on your quote, it is due at booking, and the remaining balance goes straight to your driver at delivery after you inspect the car. The price we quote is the price you pay.
How to get your exact number
Skip the callback games. Our instant calculator prices your exact route and vehicle in seconds, with no email or phone number required, using the same data we use to book real carriers every day.
Cost questions, answered straight
What is the average cost to ship a car in the US?
Most coast to coast moves run $1,700 to $2,300, mid-range hauls around 1,000 miles run $900 to $1,300, and short regional moves have minimum pricing near $340 to $450 because a truck still has to show up. Your exact number depends on route, vehicle size, and season.
Why do short moves cost more per mile?
Loading, unloading, and dispatch take the same effort whether the drive is 50 miles or 500. That fixed effort spreads over fewer miles on short hauls, so the per-mile rate looks high even when the total is small.
Do bigger vehicles really cost more to ship?
Yes. SUVs, pickups, and vans take more deck space and weight, so carriers charge more for them, typically about $100 over a sedan on the same route.
Is a cheap quote from another company real?
Sometimes, but the industry is famous for lowball quotes that get raised after you book, once no carrier accepts the route at that price. A real quote is one priced to actually move your car the first time.
Does the price include the broker fee?
Ours does, and we show it separately so you know exactly what is due at booking and what goes to your driver at delivery. Many companies hide the split until later.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car?
Open carrier, a flexible pickup window of a few days, an off-peak month, and a car that travels light. That combination is the honest bottom of the market, quotes below it tend to get raised later.
How do I get the best price on car shipping?
Compare two or three quotes, distrust the outlier far below the pack, and book one to two weeks ahead. Run your route through our estimator, then email ship@theroyalport.com for the firm written number.
Who ships cars at a fair price without hidden fees?
We do: family-run since 2014, a small disclosed broker fee, and you pay the vetted, insured driver directly at delivery. The written price is the whole price.
What is the best way to keep my car shipping cost down?
Flexibility is the discount code: a pickup window beats a fixed day, off-season beats peak, and open beats enclosed for standard cars. Everything else is set by distance and vehicle size.
How do I budget for shipping a car across the country?
Get today's number from our estimator for your exact route, then treat it as a planning figure until you book, lane rates float with fuel and season. The firm quote comes in writing from us.
Is it cheaper to ship my car or drive it myself?
Once fuel, hotels, meals, days of your time, and a couple thousand miles of wear are counted, shipping is usually competitive and often wins. The longer the route, the more shipping pulls ahead.
How do I get an exact car shipping price instead of a range?
Email ship@theroyalport.com with your ZIPs, vehicle, and timing, and we send a firm written quote at current carrier market rates. The estimator on our homepage gives you the instant ballpark first.